Leicester City: Premier League champions could boost tourism to Britain
Leicester City's historic Premier League triumph could provide a boost to Britain's £26bn tourism industry, according to experts.
The Premier League was already the number one sporting draw for international tourists ahead of this season, but Leicester's incredible against-the-odds campaign could further increase the value of "football tourism" and provide the town with an influx of new visitors.
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In 2014, 800,000 international visitors went to Britain went to a football match, spending £684m, according to VisitBritain.
Leicester themselves have experienced an uptick in visitors since reaching the Premier League in 2014, when 155,000 visited compared to 145,000 in 2013 and 130,000 in 2012.
"Leicester City's fantastic win is truly the stuff of legends and has thrust the players, the fans, the city and Britain as the 'home of football' into the global spotlight," said VisitBritain director Patricia Yates.
"Football has mass international appeal and a global fan base of billions and we know that people like to visit the home of their sporting heroes.
"We encourage visitors from all over the world to travel to Britain and enjoy a Barclays Premier League football match with our Football is GREAT campaign, as part of our drive to get tourists out exploring more of regional Britiain."